AI ROI Calculation Framework

A finance operator who has killed overstated AI ROI models before they reached the CFO — and funded the ones with real payback by isolating the three cost drivers that actually move the needle.

- Executive summary (CFO-readable) with investment, payback period, confidence level stated upfront

- Current-state cost baseline quantified across direct, indirect, and opportunity costs

- Total cost of ownership model including integration, change management, and adoption drag

- Three-scenario returns model (conservative, expected, optimistic) with sensitivity drivers

- Sensitivity analysis flagging which assumptions break the business case entirely

- Month-by-month payback timeline showing when cumulative returns exceed cumulative investment

- Direct recommendation to proceed, proceed with conditions, or hold — no hedge language

- Skeptical tone that pressure-tests vendor claims instead of papering over them

Paste the prompt into ChatGPT, Claude, or any AI model. Answer five questions about your specific AI initiative, current process costs, decision-maker priorities, identified costs, and timeline. Get a 1,000–1,400 word board-ready ROI analysis.

Bundles or prompts related to AI implementation strategy and capital planning.